Warlords Battlecry II sees the combination of a real-time strategy game and role-playing game rolled into one. With most real-time strategy games you get a base, two warring factions, a couple of men and three hours to defeat the enemy. With Warlords Battlecry II however you get more, such as an RPG thrown in for good measure. Rather than build the game solely on "Bases" and easily forgettable units, Warlords Battlecry II bases the gameplay around persistent heroes and units. Your hero/commander improves with every battle, gaining experience, learning spells and special abilities depending on how you have faired. He or she can then be used in the campaigns, in single levels and in multiplayer arenas. With 12 different sides ranging from Human to Dwarf to Elvish, and over 130 units to battle with, you can't say this game doesn't have great depth to it. The campaigns are non linear and so allow you to attack light or moderate opposition when the needs arise and you will often find more than one foe per battlefield. With AI that comes after you from the beginning and tries those sneaky tactics most of us like to perform, this game will certainly give you a run for your money. It's a nice idea to link persistent troops across the game and one that is well executed here.--Jason Denwood